Apa Book Citation Example

When citing a book in APA style, it is essential to follow the guidelines provided by the American Psychological Association. The general format for a book citation includes the author's last name, first initial, publication year, book title, and publication information. Here is a breakdown of how to cite a book in APA style:

Basic Book Citation Format

The basic format for a book citation in APA style is as follows: Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of the book. Publisher. Note that the title of the book is italicized, and the publication information includes the publisher’s name.

Example of a Book Citation

For example, if we are citing a book written by John Smith, published in 2020, with the title “The Psychology of Learning,” and published by Routledge, the citation would look like this: Smith, J. (2020). The psychology of learning. Routledge.

Citing Multiple Authors

When a book has multiple authors, the citation format changes slightly. For two authors, the citation includes both authors’ names separated by an ampersand (&) in the in-text citation, but uses “and” in the reference list. For example: Smith, J., & Johnson, K. (2020). The psychology of learning. Routledge.

Citing an Edited Book

For an edited book, the citation includes the editors’ names, followed by (Eds.) or (Ed.) for a single editor, and the title of the book. For instance: Johnson, K. (Ed.). (2020). The psychology of education. Routledge.

Citing a Chapter in an Edited Book

When citing a chapter in an edited book, the citation includes the author of the chapter, the publication year, the chapter title, the title of the book, the editors’ names, and the publication information. For example: Smith, J. (2020). Learning theories. In K. Johnson (Ed.), The psychology of education (pp. 10-20). Routledge.